


Wild and Free

by NeuroWriter14



Series: Beware The Greeks [1]
Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, Do not repost, I love myths in a different and less traditional way, M/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:07:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29053380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeuroWriter14/pseuds/NeuroWriter14
Summary: Everyone longs for something. When Harry is offered the chance to have what he longs for, he takes it, and learns what Tom longs for in the process.
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort
Series: Beware The Greeks [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2131521
Comments: 18
Kudos: 137





	Wild and Free

Harry woke next to a stream. The water trickled lightly past his feet, which were not quite near the surface, but close enough that he could feel the small breeze that the water always carried with it. The grass around him swayed slightly as he rose and stretched, the cloak he was using as a blanket falling to pool around his waist. He wiggled his toes before burying them in the dirt. The earth around him reached back, grasping for him as it always did. He could feel it, every part of it, at least the parts that were blooming. He could feel the flowers, the fruits, he could feel every time they fed those around them, ever seed that grew and bloomed into a magnificence tree. He could feel the leaves and the way they swayed in the wind. He could feel the young animals, fed by the fruits and seeds their sires brought. He could feel the children happily picking apples and berries off plants. 

It all reached for him, and he reached back, breathing just a bit of himself into the world around him. 

In truth, he wasn't the god of the earth. That privilege belonged to his mother. But he was the god of spring, of flowers, of new life. He was the god of growth and renewal. Alongside his mother, they would seed the earth, breathing life into it. Life that would go on to feed others; humans, animals. From the tallest tree to the smallest ant, all were fed in some form or another by their gifts. And in return, he and his mother would receive offerings. 

Not that Harry ever had a chance to truly see the offerings. Or those who gave them. 

Harry had spent most of his life by his mother's side. In truth, it was a good life. He wanted for nothing. He was always clothed and bathed and fed. He had friends amongst the forest, animals and nymphs and fae, all of whom kept him company while he stayed hidden. 

The morning sun bathed him in light and if he turned his head just so, he could see the flames of the chariot above him. He had seen another chariot, hours before. That one softer, and gentler. The chariot above him danced in reds and oranges, but mostly a vibrant yellow light that was nearly white. He could see the horses that pulled it, the flames that erupted around their hooves as they slowly moved through the sky. The chariot before was different. The sky around it was always darker and the light was softer. It was pure and gentle. When he turned just right, he could see the glowing horns of the reindeer, and the gentle white light of their hooves. 

He knew of Apollo and Artemis, the twins. They were famed for their archery. Apollo was adored for his music and medicine. Artemis was a huntress and patron of virgins. He knew it was because of them that the life he breathed into the world around him could flourish. Apollo's light amplified the breath Harry brought into the world and Artemis soothed and pulled at the tides. They were his siblings, in all actuality. His brother and sister. Harry often wondered what they must see in a day. The lands his siblings could watch over, the people they saw, the experiences they had. 

They must see so much, up high. 

Harry sighed and turned his eyes downward. 

Slowly, he began to tug at the bindings in his hair, carefully setting aside the new flower he had made the day before. His hair had always been unruly when he was younger, wild and untamed. It felt not unlike himself, a visual expression of the feelings within his very being. It was easier, though, to tame it when it was longer. 

He had yet to see his mother, so he set about his morning routine, shedding himself of the few clothes he had, and entered the stream. His bath was slow and long, feeling the cool water over his morning warmed skin. 

No god truly had a form. He was always a little bit everywhere. He was in the lotus flowers that bloomed in the stream a little over from where he was. He was in the apples in the north and the prickly pears of the cacti to the south. He was in the pecans in the west and the cherry blossoms of the east. He was always everywhere all at once as much as he was here, in the stream. That didn't mean, though, that he couldn't form together into a body.

Gods could always disguise themselves, his mother quite frequently did, but there was always an interpretation of them when they formed that revealed some aspect of their true selves. That's what Harry currently was now, and what his mother would be when she arrived for the morning. 

Harry bathed slowly, taking his time to enjoy the water, before he finally left the clinging fingers of the stream and returned. He clothed himself once more, grasping the flowers that previously adorned his hair. 

"Good morning, Harry." One of the nymphs greeted as she entered the clearing. Her name was Ash. She had curly brown hair and cinnamon eyes. Her skin was tinged with green. Harry had known her the longest he had known anyone. But his mother would move him along eventually and he would not know her anymore. 

She walked up beside him as he folded his legs in front of him. 

"Good morning, Ash." 

"Would you like me to replace those?" She held out her hand for the flowers and Harry nodded. 

"Where are you off to this morning?" He asked as she knelt behind him, carding his fingers through his wet hair. 

"Just around." 

"And where were you yesterday?" Harry asked.

"I went to a village, not far from here." Her fingers deftly worked through his hair. "Saw the children. Played. Thought them how to plant seeds." 

"What are they like?" 

"Who?" Ash asked, twisting a stem into one of his braids. "Humans?"

"Yes," Harry answered. He then looked at the feather she held between his fingers, offering it to him. "Is that a raven's feather?"

"Yes, I found it this morning. Would you like it?" 

"I couldn't-" Harry began but she tsked and resumed her braiding, weaving the feather in with the flowers. 

"Humans," She said softly, almost as a sigh. "They were interesting. Stupid and lively and brutal. They are sweet and fearful and brave." She huffed. "They are a loathsome species."

"Loathsome?" He inquired. 

"They cut down trees, use them to build their houses or burn them."

"They are doing what they must to stay alive." 

"They take my home," She argued. "They take it and use it to burn or build their own homes or make weapons of war." 

"You can inhabit other trees." He reasoned. "You don't die with the tree. You move on, find another." He knew she was going to argue, so he pressed on. "Do you fault the ants for making home in your trees? Do you fault the birds for taking the seeds and fruits to feed their young? Do you fault the mites who tunnel through it? Do you fault the lightning for its strikes and the fire it ignites?" 

She sighed. "No." 

"They why fault them for doing what they must?" 

"You do not know them, Harry." Ash settled her hands on his shoulders, having finished with his hair. 

"I wish to know them." 

"And you will, someday." She assured. "Your mother will let you eventually." 

"I doubt it." 

"Have a little faith, Harry." She rubbed his shoulder and then moved to sit next to him, facing the opposite direction so their eyes could meet. "She is doing what she feels is best." 

"I know." It was his turn to sigh as he looked into the trees, knowing that eventually they would end and there was something new. 

"Then understand that she guards you because she feels she must. This world consumes beautiful things." 

Harry blushed, ducking his head. "I'm not beautiful."

"Yes you are," She said, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "Fret not, my friend. You will see the world." 

Harry nodded and turned his attention to the grass once more, just in time to see it shift slightly. Excitement ran through him as he shifted to pop up on his knees, greeted by a diamond head and a long, forked tongue. 

"Hello, little one." He greeted, reaching out to the snake. 

"Who's this?" Ash asked eyeing the snake that began to crawl up Harry's arm. 

"I don't know," Harry answered. "I only found her the other day. She was shy and hasn't spoken yet. But she seems nice enough." Harry lifted his hand that the snake wrapped around, running his fingers over her head. "Are you hungry little one?" 

"Well, I will leave you then with your friend," Ash said, standing and brushing off her knees. "I will return." 

Harry said his goodbye and watched her go long after she was gone, wishing to join her. Eventually, he turned back to the snake and sighed. 

"Let's find you some food, little one." 

He had barely managed to track down food for the snake when his mother entered the clearing. Her vibrant red hair glistened in the sun and her emerald eyes were set ablaze by love and light. 

"My darling," She greeted, setting down the basket of food she had with her and approached Harry. 

Harry set down the snake before he embraced his mother, feeling her arms squeeze him lightly before letting go. She looked down at the snake then, clicking her tongue lightly and the snake slithered away quickly, clearly frightened. He almost wanted to chastise his mother, but he knew it was useless. She stroked over his hair, looking over the braids carefully before she sighed to herself. 

"Are you hungry my love?" 

"Yes, Mother." 

She smiled. "Come. Eat." 

She brought them over to the basket, sitting on one side while he sat on the other. He grasped for the new flower from where he tucked it behind his ear and offered it to her. 

"Mother," He said quietly, holding the flower in his palm. "I made this for you." 

It was ultimately a simple flower with six petals and bright, colorful stamen. The petals were red with yellow around the edges, giving it a sharp and fierce look, yet also gentle and kind. 

"Oh," His mother gasped, looking at the flower. She took it gently from his palm, turning it in her hand. "What do you call it?" 

"I was thinking of calling it a lily." 

"Lily," She echoed. "And you made it for me?" 

"Yes." 

"Thank you," She said softly, placing it in one of the folds of her dress. "I adore it." 

They ate and then spent the morning and afternoon together, exploring and planting. His mother blessed the nearby village and their crops. They would have a bountiful harvest. But no matter how close she went, he was never allowed, always watching from a distance as she ran her hands over the crops. They would glow briefly and the soil around them grew healthy. Over and over they repeated this, going from place to place to plant and bless and watch everything grow. 

In the early evening, she ran her hand down his face and gently stroked his hair before she vanished once again. Every day was the same. And every day he did as he was told, though he longed for more. 

He sighed and obediently stayed. 

Normally. 

This night, however, Ash returned to him as he looked out into the forest. He could swear there were eyes on him; heavy dark eyes that watched from the shadows. But that was all they did. They watched and whoever they belonged to never came closer. Never touched him, never did anything more than watched. He had felt the presence before, whoever it was, but he had never seen them. Ash, however, quickly distracted him from staring into the forest as she pranced into the clearing. Her eyes were alight and her skin seemed to shimmer with happiness. 

She danced closer and grasped Harry's hand. "Come along, Harry." 

"Where are we going?" Not that it really mattered. He was standing anyway, following her out of the clearing. 

They ran and dodged past trees and their limbs, over rocks and by bushes, until they reached another clearing. There was a bonfire alight in the center with nymphs and fae and satyrs dancing around, hollering and laughing and cheering. Music from flutes and drums echoed off the wood around them, sinking into the very soil. Little puffs of magic, sparkles of all colors, would appear in the ground, followed quickly by flowers or new grasses. 

Harry had been to one of these before, dragged by Ash. It was months ago, under another full moon like this night. He let her grasp his other hand, sweeping him into the dancing mass. And oh did he dance. It was dangerous, he knew, to be out and about, away from the clearing. He knew his mother wanted to protect him, which was why she kept him hidden. She never knew, though, that he would escape like this. Only twice now, but still. It was his secret and he guarded it selfishly. It was reckless and foolish, but he never felt as free as he did being pulled along, spinning in the clearing amongst others who laughed and cheered. 

He could feel the moonlight dance across his sun-kissed skin and the way the grass caressed his bare feet. Flowers sprung up behind his every step, swaying in the firelight. 

Harry spun and spun and danced. He could feel his hair fly out behind him and the breeze that fell on his hands. He only barely noticed when the air seemed to chill slightly, but he didn't care. Instead, he moved closer to the fire and continued with the festivities. 

It wasn't until the moon had crested in the sky that he noticed the stranger on the edge. He had dark chestnut hair, high cheekbones, and dark eyes that Harry was all but certain he lost himself in when he met the other's eyes. He was tall, taller than Harry, and he stood leaning against a tree. He didn't join, he was just watching. Harry spotted him from the other side of the fire, seeing the way the light danced in his dark eyes. 

He couldn't stop himself from nearing, endlessly curious. 

"Hello," He said quietly, approaching the stranger. The other looked at him, his lips curving slightly at the sight of Harry. 

"Hello." He greeted in return as Harry neared. 

"Are you a human?" Harry asked. 

The stranger extended a hand to him, looking back over his shoulder at the dancing and festivities. "Does it matter?" 

Harry smiled and took his hand. "No, I suppose not." 

He pulled the other back toward the group, the two of them falling in with the other dancers as they circled the fire. The man never took his eyes off Harry as they spun and danced. He never had the chance to ask the other his name. Between the crackling of the fire, the laughter, and the music, it would have been lost anyway. Instead, he enjoyed the closeness of the handsome stranger and hoped that the heat within him was due to the dancing and the fire, and not something more in that dark gaze. That beautiful dark gaze. 

The moon moved more through the sky, as Harry glanced a sigh of the chariot here and there when looking up at the sky. 

They spun around the fire, close together. The other didn't laugh, but he did offer a smile at one point, watching Harry with nearly adoring eyes. 

At one point, the stranger bent down, wrapping one arm around Harry's waist and with the other hand, grasped his thigh. Harry couldn't help but giggle as he was lifted high, feeling the heat of the fire next to them that was so overwhelmed by the heat of the body pressed against him. The other's eyes were still on his face even as he spun with Harry above him and then let him down gently. 

Harry's breath was completely gone from his chest, and he wasn't certain it was entirely due to the exercise. 

"Harry," Ash said, approaching him. 

Reluctantly he turned away as she pointed at the horizon. The first fingers of dawn were clawing at the edge, the sun about to rise. 

"I'm sorry," He said frantically to the stranger. "I have to-"

Ash pulled at his other hand, pulling them apart and while Harry went, it was reluctantly. The last part of him to depart from the stranger was his other hand, still reaching for the man's hand that was outstretched back toward him. 

Once the clearing was out of sight, he and Ash ran back through the woods to the clearing he normally slept in. The sun began to rise, the very edge of it over the horizon. Harry huffed out a laugh, seeing Ash do the same as both moved to catch their breath. He couldn't stop himself from laughing, joined quickly by his friend as he fell to his knees. 

"What a night," He said quietly, seeing her nod. 

"Your mother will be along soon," She said. But before she left, she moved closer. "Did you enjoy yourself?" 

"Yes. Thank you, my friend." 

She smiled and then disappeared back into the forest. 

Harry just managed to dress after he cleaned himself when his mother arrived and the day proceeded as it always had. He couldn't stop himself from thinking about the stranger and after his mother departed, he laid down to rest and dreamt of dark eyes. 

The next day began as usual with Harry bathing and readying himself for his mother's arrival. 

Except it wasn't his mother who greet him. The stranger stood by the stream Harry emerged from, watching him with dark eyes. 

"Oh," Harry gasped, surprise forcing the word from his chest. "I-"

"Do you want to be free?" The stranger asked him. "I can free you." 

Harry heard a branch snap somewhere behind him. His mother was coming. 

"I-" He looked away from the stranger and toward the footsteps. 

"You needn't be afraid." The stranger stretched his hand outward, offering it to Harry. "You can be free." 

Harry looked back toward the forest, seeing the first sight of fire-red hair and then back toward the stranger. He longed to be free. To be himself. But he loved his mother. She was just trying to protect him. And yet-

Harry searched the stranger's eyes. The man was calm, waiting. Harry looked one more time back at his mother, his heart squeezing as she neared. But something else called to him, sang to him. He wanted-

He so desperately wanted. 

He turned back toward the stranger, reaching for him. 

The moment their hands met, the stranger pulled him closer, lifting him with his hand grasping Harry's thigh and pressing him to his chest. 

"I'm Harry," He said quietly, excitement humming through his veins. 

"Tom." The other answered. 

The air around him grew cold and dark. He managed to turn just in time to see his mother step into the clearing. Her emerald eyes went from loving to fearful in a second and she rushed forward. 

"Harry!" She called.

But Harry could feel himself beginning to fall. His hands flailed for a moment, feeling as though he lost his balance. Around him, the darkness began to close and Tom's hands tightened on him. 

"Harry!" He heard his mother call. "HARRY!"

* * *

When Harry awoke, he was alone. 

Everything around him was dark and cold, as though everything was muted. He was lying on a rather soft bed, buried in furs and some other material he didn't quite know. He could see the panels of the bed rise around him and eventually were met but what almost looked like a roof. From there, curtains fell back down around the bed, sealing him off from the room around him. He pushed one of the curtains aside and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He was immediately met by the cold stone floor and he hissed slightly, pulling his feet back up. 

All around his was dark, cold stone. It seemed to weep as he looked at it, the fire dancing off the stone. There were chairs and tables scattered around the room, books on shelves, and in the center of one table was a small vase with flowers sticking out of it. Harry reached up, feeling his own hair loose around his shoulders. They were his flowers, set aside for when he wanted them again. 

He peered over the bed again, finding some coverings for his feet. He slipped from the covers, shivering at the chill around him. One of the many pieces of furniture appeared to hold clothing and Harry immediately wrapped himself, shivering slightly. From there, he moved to the door and opened it. First, he poked his head out but didn't see anyone. He stepped from the room and into the hall, admiring everything around him. There was more black stone, but there was also gold, woven into the walls. Now and then he would see something flash, a stone of some sort. There were various colors, reds, greens, yellows, and some were even clear. Harry followed the hall, seeing everything that shone in the walls until he reached a window.

The outside was just as muted as the inside, with a dull red haze settling over everything. He could see people moving just outside the wall that surrounded what he presumed was a castle. 

There was a loud thump outside, making Harry jump. As he continued to look, he could almost see someone on a hill in the distance, pushing what looked like a massive boulder up the hill. 

Harry sighed, turning away from the window, and was immediately met by a transparent figure standing behind him. The figure didn't speak, instead, it bowed and then gestured for Harry to follow him. Harry followed, gripping the clothing he had found closer to himself at the chill of having the other near. 

He followed the figure until he reached a massive hall with a table that seemed to stretch the length of the room. Another fire roared in the room which Harry was immediately drawn to. The figure that led into the room vanished as Harry neared the fire and for a moment he thought he was alone. That was until the shadows around him appeared to shift and the stranger appeared before him. 

Tom, he had called himself. 

Harry jumped slightly at his appearance, clutching at his clothing and backing away. But the other made no move to come closer, instead gesturing toward the fire and stepping back. Harry was certain it was so that he didn't feel the need to stay away from the warmth. Harry shuffled back toward the fire and eventually sighed from the heat. 

"Are you well?" The other asked. 

"Well?" Harry almost scoffed. "You stole me away." 

"You wanted freedom. That is what I offered and you accepted." 

"You didn't want to give me freedom. You wanted to trap me. I'm not better here than I was there." Harry snapped. 

"No?" The other asked. "You can go wherever you like. See whatever you like. Explore. Be free." Harry was skeptical, and he had every right to be. He eyed the other, watching the flames dance in his dark eyes just as they had the first night they met. "What do you need?" The other asked after a moment, his voice softer. "I will give you whatever you wish. Jewels. Silks. I'll weave you a crown of gold if that is what you wish. I'll shower you with your every desire." 

"And what do you want in return?" Harry withdrew as the other stepped closer. 

"Nothing." The other answered. He could see his hand twitch as though he wanted to reach out for Harry, but he didn't. 

"I don't believe you." 

Tom smiled sadly and nodded. "I'll leave you. But, please, explore. See everything. Be free. And do not hesitate to ask if you wish for something." 

The other vanished then, leaving Harry next to the fire. 

Harry did explore. At first, no matter how much he desired to, he didn't leave the castle. Despite his wanting to explore, some part of him felt as though he'd let himself fall into a trap, another confinement. So, he explored within the walls of the castle. It took him a month to see the whole thing. He traversed tunnels and through corridors. Being inside was strange. He felt cut off in a way, so far from everything that he truly was. But he also felt something else. Something he wasn't quite ready to address. He felt powerful and part of him longed to stretch it. It was as though his fall into what he began to gather was the Underworld gave him another limb. One that he longed to stretch and press at, but he didn't. 

By the end of his first month, he had finally seen everything except his host. He had seen the various see-through figures that worked the castle, even seen some other strange spirits that weren't quite see-through. There were skeletons too, bones settled carefully on one another with never twitching smiles that would walk here and there. 

It wasn't until the end of his first month that he finally saw Tom again. 

The other approached him as he stood at a window, looking outside the castle. 

"Is there something you wish, Harry?" The other asked, still keeping away from him but turning his head as though to catch Harry's eyes. 

"Is there a garden? Or some flowers? I feel-" He cut himself off from his impromptu request but the other seemed unbothered. Instead, he gestured out the window. 

"Just outside the castle is a garden. It is all yours." 

He vanished before Harry could thank him. 

He found the garden easily, but he was surprised when he arrived. He didn't know the plants he was greeted with. He didn't recognize them or understand them as he knelt among them. Some were blood red, with what looked like teeth on their petals. Some were swaying slightly, shifting toward and away from one another as though dancing. And some were the same color as moonlight, emitting a soft glow from their petals. 

Harry touched each one of them, understanding them the moment he did. He felt, for the first time since he arrived, peace settle over him. He continued to shift among the plants, eventually finding a spot and beginning to grow some familiar ones for himself, including a lily. He smiled sadly when he saw it. 

He missed his mother. He missed her smile and her kind emerald eyes. He missed her blessings and watching the harvests grow. The lily somehow both satisfied an ache within him while also opening a new one.

He felt so alone. No friends, no one to talk to. He sighed.

At least he had this. 

He moved from the flowers to a tree that was growing out of the ground near the wall. There were fruits on it that almost looked like half a heart. He looked at the discarded ones on the ground, seeing them split open. It only served to reaffirm his heart theory as he looked at the seeds inside the fruit, spilling out around it like blood. 

For the next month, he returned to the garden, spending days there unbothered. 

By the end of the second month, Tom found him again and invited him to dinner. Harry knew he could say no, and perhaps that was why he said yes. 

He regretted it the moment he sat down at the massive table, Tom across from him. He knew the legends, he knew what happened if he ate Underworld food. It was the reason he had refused to eat since arriving. Tom eyed him across the table, some emotion in his dark eyes before he nodded, knowingly. 

"You can eat, Harry." 

He wanted to scoff. Some part of him held out hope that he could leave. He wouldn't ruin it with this. 

"It's not true." Tom continued. "You can eat. It won't keep you here." 

"You would say that, just to keep me." Harry scoffed. 

"No," Tom sighed and looked toward the window. "There is only one thing you can eat here that will keep you." 

Harry's mind flashed with the tree by the wall. "The pomegranates." 

"Yes," Tom confirmed. "Those will keep you here." He gestured to the food between them. "No pomegranates." 

Harry didn't know why, but he felt as though he believed him. 

His mother had told him stories of the ruler of the Underworld. She called him cruel and vicious. She had said he was deadly and terrifying and that he had no mercy or remorse. She said he had earned the name Voldemort, meaning flight of death. 

But that was nothing like the man who Harry had seen. The quiet man who had kept his distance, who gave Harry his space and offered him freedom and anything else he could possibly want. 

He ate and Tom smiled. 

After that, Harry took his chances and began exploring outside the castle. 

He saw a pit that seemed to go on forever, which he was certain would swallow him whole if he leaned too close. He saw the man rolling the boulder up close and another trapped under a tree, reaching but never grasping the fruit it held. He heard screams of anguish and felt the pulsing of the pit that seemed to drown everything around him in darkness. He saw one area which emanated laughter and as he neared, he saw for the first time, people smile. He could hear their laughter and watched them dance. There was no sun, but it was happy and warm and welcoming. He saw people kiss and love and be so incredibly tender in a way he never saw, even though he knew he had seen it before. With Tom. But he shoved it away. Beyond them was another area that felt almost divine, something he only felt around his mother and Tom. He didn't venture closer to it, but as close as he dared, he felt peace. But the thing he saw the most were the people who just stood around. They weren't in agony and they weren't happy. They felt sad, lonely, as they merely stood, day after day. Some wandered, but their eyes were blank and lifeless as though everything that made them was sucked away. 

He knew Tom was the lord of the Underworld, the infamous Hades. But being here, Harry couldn't help but feel a twinge of heartache. 

This was what Tom had to rule over. A land of reward and a land of punishment, certainly. But mostly it was sad and empty and lonely. 

Tom was lonely. 

It was another two months when he finally finished seeing everything, except for one thing. 

But after the first month, seeing all those lost and lonely souls, Harry couldn't help but want to spend time with Tom. And he found he quite liked it. Liked Tom. He was sweeter than anyone had made him out to be, and gentler than Harry ever thought. 

"You care for them all?" Harry asked one day as they stood at the window, overlooking the fields upon fields of souls. 

"Yes. They are in my charge. I watch over them all." 

"And those which stay with you? Here?" 

Tom's lips quirked. "Only a select few. I like to call them Death Eaters." 

Harry's lips twitched, seeing the joke Tom had made of their name. 

One night, after dinner with Tom, Harry went to return to his room when he came across a familiar diamond head. 

"Hello, little one." Harry couldn't help but smile, bending down to see the snake. 

The snake neared and with a shutter of its tiny body, changed until it was a massive thing. It neared him, making Harry freeze momentarily before it crept up his leg and slithered up his body. Harry was still until the snake settled with its head on his shoulder, looking at him with slitted eyes. 

_Food?_ The snake asked, making Harry laugh slightly. 

He learned the snake's name was Nagini, a favorite of Tom's and one of the only beings in the world who didn't shy away from him. 

_Master says you're beautiful._ Nagini told him one day. _It was why he sent me to you. He wanted you to have you a friend._

Harry's heart squeezed and he swallowed thickly, looking into the next room where Tom was leaning over a table, reading something. 

After that, Harry traveled to the very last place he had been avoiding. From the moment he saw it, he heard an ominous rumbling growl. Sometimes the entire cavern around it, as Harry eventually found the top of the Underworld, would shake with whatever the beast was. It was always near one of the rivers that ran through the Underworld. Harry knew never to touch these rivers, as one could kill even him, a god, and another could make him forget. He didn't want to forget. 

But he did eventually near the source of the growling. 

And was immediately met with not one, not two, but three massive canine heads. He could vaguely see that all belonged to one body just as one of the massive snouts, the size of his torso, neared him, sniffing. He heard another growl and found himself backing up as the creature, the three-headed dog, began creeping out of the cave it was in. Harry's jaw dropped in awe at the size of the dog who stood to his full height, his heads nearly touching the cavern's ceiling. Then, the creature leaned down once more. 

Harry was certain he was done for. 

That was when he heard it. 

_BANG. BANG. BANG._

The walls over the cavern began to shake and some sediment fell from the ceiling onto his shoulder. But as he looked around one of the massive paws of the dog, he saw that not only was the massive creature the source of the banging and shaking but that it was his massive, wagging tail colliding with the wall that caused everything. 

Harry couldn't stop himself from smiling as he looked up at the dog. One of the heads let his tongue roll out the side of his mouth as the massive creature bend toward him, nudging Harry with his snout and forcing him backward. The dog continued until Harry put his hand, stopping the creature. The dog waited patiently for him to stand before trying to near again. Harry put his hand up once more and this time, the dog nuzzled against it. Harry couldn't help but smile as he pet what he could of one of the heads, hearing more than anything the massive tail slap the wall in excitement. Another head moved closer for a pet and Harry obliged, laughing as the third licked a massive tongue over his entire body. 

"I see you've met Cerberus." 

Harry turned to see Tom next to him. 

His heart squeezed in his chest, as it so often did lately around Tom. The other kept his distance as he always had, this time with his arms folded behind his back before he moved to pet one of the massive heads. Cerberus's tail thumped more before Tom revealed what was in his other hand. It was a massive ball, somehow hidden behind him. Harry guessed in his cloak. 

Every head turned to the ball, Cerberus's body dropping downward as his front legs bent and his tail thumping louder than ever. Tom turned and threw the ball. Harry was certain he was about to be trampled as the dog launched after it. He and Tom were avoided completely, though some others weren't as lucky. Harry watched as Cerberus trampled over soul after soul, first chasing the ball and then fighting himself for it. 

He didn't realize that in his fear of being trampled, he jumped into Tom's arms. 

The other was watching him closely, his lips parted slightly as Harry noticed and felt his face warm slightly. 

He should move away. He should. He should. 

He didn't want to. 

Tom didn't let him go, but he would if Harry wanted him to. Of this, he was certain. 

Why didn't he want him to? 

"I'm sorry," He said, eventually forcing himself away. 

"It is never a bother," Tom responded. "I came to see if you would have dinner with me."

"Oh," Harry said. "Yes."

He watched the other sigh slightly before he backed away with a small bow and vanished. 

Harry made his way back toward the castle though he found himself distracted by Cerberus who more than once lost his ball when it flew away from one of his mouths. The creature would trample soul after soul trying to find it again and then began tugging at it with himself all over again. By the time he finally returned to the castle, it was dinner time. 

Harry had grown used to the environment, the constant chill that was in the air, but that didn't stop him from nearing the fire the moment he entered the hall with the massive table. Tom wasn't there yet, so Harry stayed close to the fire. He stood there for longer than he expected, waiting. And still, Tom didn't show. He found himself strangely worried so he began to weave his way through the castle, looking for him. 

When he found Tom, he wasn't alone. 

Harry barely peeked in the room and noted that someone else was there. He backed away quickly, just enough to not be seen, but close enough to listen. 

"The boy must be returned." 

"He is happy here," Tom insisted. "He is healthy and well provisioned. He explores as he wishes and has everything he needs. He should stay." 

"I'm sorry," The other said. "But he must be returned to his mother." 

"I have asked you for nothing but this. This is the one thing I have ever wanted since you banished me here to live cold and alone. Just this. Why can you not give me this? Why can I not be happy?"

"Happy?" The other scoffed. "Has he spoken more than a few words to you. I'm surprised he hasn't climbed the walls trying to leave." 

"If he wants to leave, then I will let him go. But that is his choice. Not yours, not his mother's. Not mine. His." 

Harry's heart jumped into his throat. 

"He must be returned to his mother." The other insisted. "You have until tomorrow." 

Harry backed away from the door as he heard a scuffle and then saw a flash from under it. He ran back toward the hall, emotions clogging his throat. He could leave, and now he was being ordered to. All this time he thought it was a trick and yet Tom would have let him leave any time he chose. He truly had been free the whole time. And now he was demanded back by his mother. He missed her certainly. But-

Harry couldn't stay in the hall. He kept moving and instead found his room. He shut the door with a thud, emotions high in his throat. 

He didn't know how long he was there before he heard a soft knock and the door opened behind him. Harry whirled around to see Tom, shutting the door. He was beautiful, Harry thought. 

"I have to leave," He didn't bother with pretending as though he didn't hear. 

"I'm afraid so."

"When?" Harry asked, even though he knew the answer. 

"Tomorrow." 

"I-" He didn't want to leave. 

Tom sighed and neared him, for the first time touching Harry without giving Harry the choice. He cupped his face between his hands and sighed slightly, his dark eyes sad. Harry's heart felt as though it would explode from his chest and run for Tom. 

"Oh, Harry." He said quietly. "I have done my duty. It has made me angry and vengeful. Often I have wanted to spite my brother, to take the place that rightfully belonged to me. And I could. It's not for lack of power, I have plenty. I won't ever die, but-" He cut himself off looking over Harry's shoulder and out the window. "I wanted one thing. But I won't keep you. You are free, as I said from the very first." 

Tom let him go and took a step back, folding his hands behind his back. 

"You can leave." 

He didn't know what compelled him to move forward, but he did, tilting his head up so his lips brushed over Tom's. 

Oh. 

_Oh._

He felt it the moment they touched. The moment his lips brushed over Tom's. The feeling he had, the thing that made his heart squeeze and made him jump into the other's arms, the thing that made him sad for the lord of the Underworld and his loneliness. It was love. 

He loved him. 

Tom kissed him back gently, not daring to reach forward yet. Harry pressed closer and Tom eventually relented, his arms moving from behind his back to around Harry's body, pressing him close. Harry moved a hand into the other's chestnut hair as he tiptoed slightly, kissing him deeper. He had never done this before, he had no idea if he was doing it right, but it felt right. Tom reached up to cup the back of his head, his other hand pressing against Harry's lower back. 

He broke away for a moment to catch his breathing, finding Tom's eyes searching his own. 

_Oh, dear._ He thought as he leaned in again. This was the worst kind of love. 

Tom pulled him back, closer, their lips meeting again. Tom held him tenderly, gently, even as his kisses began to take on an urgent feeling. Harry tiptoed more, leaning his weight more against Tom, his handsome stranger. Their lips fit together perfectly, as did their bodies. He felt Tom's hand flex on his lower back, very nearly brushing skin. Even here, it wasn't as though he wore much clothing. Tom's hand began to brush very carefully over his back, ready at any moment to pull away if Harry bid it. But he didn't. He wanted him closer. 

"Tom," He whispered against the other's lips. "Please." 

The other pulled back slightly, searching his eyes before he bent, his hands wrapping around Harry's thighs, and pulling him upward. Harry was reminded of the night in the forest and the day he went with Tom. The other stared up at him adoringly, watching him as they moved toward Harry's bed. He cupped the other's face between his hands as Tom lowered them carefully, setting Harry down against his pillows and placing himself over his body. He didn't press his weight against him though, instead, staying just above him as he leaned down for a kiss. 

Harry kissed him back, tugging at his cloak slightly until the other began to lower himself. 

He was compelled to separate his legs slightly, feeling Tom settle between them as though he belonged there. Their chests pressed together as Tom settled his arms just under Harry's upper arms. They leaned back together at the same time, their lips brushing. 

Harry had tasted so many foods and drinks in his life. Human food and the food of the gods had crossed his lips. But he never tasted anything quite like Tom. 

He didn't know when the other's tongue swiped across his lips, or when he opened his mouth to let the other explore, just that he could taste him and he wanted more. 

He brought his arms around Tom's body, pressing him closer. 

"The first time I saw you," Tom began, moving from his lips to his cheek and down his jaw toward his neck. "I thought you were beautiful." He could feel the heat of Tom's breath against his skin, setting him on fire. It was the warmest he had been since he arrived. "You were dancing and laughing. Your emerald eyes shone like the brightest jewels in my realm. You looked so wild." Tom's teeth grazed gently over his skin, making him moan. "I wanted you to be free. I wanted you." 

The other continued lower, stopping momentarily in a wordless question before Harry nodded, biting his lip. 

The other began to undo what passed for his shirt, discarding it as he continued lower. 

"I saw how you were with your mother. How you longed for freedom, to be that same wild creature that you caged inside. You longed for freedom. I so desperately wanted to give it to you." 

Tom's breath was hot as he kissed over Harry's chest. Very carefully, he swiped his tongue out, making Harry gasp and grab for his hair. He could almost feel the other's smile as he did it again. 

"The next time you were like that, I couldn't stop myself from approaching." His hands roamed down Harry's sides. "I wanted to know what it was like to hold such a beautifully wild thing. And once I had you, I never wanted to let you go." 

Harry groaned, thinking back to the dark eyes that followed him, the stranger he danced with, and the snake he found for a friend. 

Tom moved back up his body quickly, pressing another kiss to his mouth. 

"I want you to feel good." He whispered against his lips. "Will you let me?" 

"Yes," Harry breathed. 

Tom began moving lower again, kissing down his body. He nipped and sucked at sensitive fleshing, heating Harry to his very core. His fingers skimmed over Harry's shorts and when he nodded, they were quickly pulled from his body. 

The wariness he felt before at not having done any of this came back but Tom hushed him first with a kiss and then with his words. "Relax."

He was about to answer with some kind of retort, it was on the tip of his tongue when Tom's tongue swiped over his length. He hadn't even realized he was hard until then, but it made him gasp and his body lurch. He saw Tom's lips quirk into a smile before he did it again, eliciting another gasp. The third time his tongue ran over him, it was immediately followed by his lips wrapping around him. Harry was suddenly buried in his mouth and the noise he made was completely sinful. Tom wasted no time hollowing his cheeks and bobbing his head, moving his lips up and down Harry's cock. 

It was ecstasy. 

Harry moaned loudly, his body arching no matter how hard he tried to keep it still. The other's hands were petting down his legs as he continued, humming slightly when one of Harry's hands found his hair. 

Harry's head thrashed of its own accord, pleasure running up his body in rings. It went from his cock down his toes and up into his head over and over as Tom worked. Eventually, his hand joined his mouth, stroking in time with his movements. 

Harry was close, so close. 

But he wanted more. 

"Tom," He gasped, tugging at his silky dark hair. Eventually, the other seemed to understand, moving off Harry's cock with a loud pop. "I need-" He tried to say. "I need more." Tom studied him for a moment. "Please."

The other kissed his hip and then began to move back up his body. 

"Are you certain?" 

"Yes," Harry hissed, moving to tug at his cloak. 

The other helped him and eventually, Tom was bare to him. The other pressed against him again, the heat of his skin setting Harry on fire. He grasped at him, trying to press him as close as possible. Tom summoned something that Harry didn't see but as he began shifting Harry, spreading his legs, he could see that the other's fingers were wet. He didn't know what to expect when Tom's finger pressed against his entrance, gently exploring. 

"Relax," Tom said again, pressing a kiss against his lips. 

Harry sucked in a breath, trying to force his body to relax as the other began to push into him slowly. Harry groaned at the intrusion, which wasn't unpleasant. 

The other moved slowly, pushing his finger in and out of Harry slowly. Before long, his whole finger was buried so deep that Harry could feel the webbing between his fingers, making him groan again. Eventually, he added another finger, repeating the whole process until Harry's body had relaxed enough to bury both fingers. One of Harry's hands was gripping Tom's shoulder so hard he was certain he was leaving fingerprints while the other was fisted in the furs below them. 

Tom kissed him again and again, doing what he could to coax Harry into relaxation. 

Harry swallowed thickly just as Tom began to scissor his fingers.

He nearly jumped off the bed with how magnificent it felt, a slight burn but overshadowed by pleasure. 

The other continued stretching him, murmuring in his ear how beautiful he was and how perfect he was being for Tom. Harry desperately wanted to talk back, to say something, but his voice was stuck in his throat. All he could manage were moans and whimpers. 

The other added a third finger, repeating the same process as the first two. He scissored more, stretching Harry. 

After several more moments, Tom pulled his fingers free. 

Harry whined at the absence and the sound was quickly swallowed by Tom. 

"Ready?" The other asked, settling back between his thighs. 

Harry nodded, gripping Tom's upper arms. Tom added more of what Harry thought was oil before he lined himself up, drawing one of Harry's legs higher for better access. Harry readied himself, breathing in and out slowly as Tom watched him. 

He felt the head of Tom's cock first as the other began rocking slightly, pushing the head in and then drawing himself back out. He repeated over and over until a little more of him was buried and then more. Harry groaned, his body shaking as Tom continued to press into him over and over. His voice was caught in his throat, his hands gripping the other tightly. 

Before he knew it, he felt Tom press closer, his whole body shifting downward as he settled. His cock was completely buried within Harry, his ass pressed against Tom's pelvis. He whimpered, unable to fully comprehend all the pleasure he was feeling accompanied by the strange feeling of fullness. Tom pulled back out again and then buried himself to the hilt again slowly, watching Harry's face all the while. 

He craned his neck, shifting upward to press his lips against Tom's in reassurance. The other kissed him back, pushing him back against the bed as he began to move his hips more, rocking in and out of Harry's body. He continued to kiss Tom as the other began to move faster. Faster, yet still just as careful. 

Harry gripped him tightly, rocking his hips back slightly into every thrust. Part of him hoped that would spur Tom on more and it seemed to. The other began to speed his movements, thrusting more and more into Harry's body. 

Pleasure was coursing through him at this point, cascading into the deepest parts of him like a waterfall. Their bodies rocked together, Harry clinging to Tom with every thrust. He wanted more. He needed more, and Tom seemed to sense it. He gave in, his thrusts becoming faster and just a little harsher. 

The other shifted himself slightly, and when he thrust back into Harry, he saw stars. 

He moaned loudly, clinging to Tom even more as his vision continued to whiten around the edges with every thrust. Tom seemed to aim for that spot over and over, his breath coming heavily in Harry's ear. 

He groaned and buried his face in Tom's neck, inhaling. He couldn't describe the scent he was greeted with, but he was certain it was 100% Tom. Their bodies rocked together more. Harry felt as though he was going to explore. 

Tom's harsh breathing became moans in his ear as he shifted his other hand under Harry's body. 

"Tom." He moaned. 

"Harry," The other breathed. 

"I'm-" He was cut off by another wave of pleasure. 

"I know. Let it come." Tom whispered in his ear, peppering kisses against his cheek. "Come for me." 

Harry whimpered, turning his head to find Tom's lips. A few more thrusts and he was crying out into Tom's mouth, a sound the other swallowed as his body shook. He felt like he was lying in a pool of ambrosia as Tom rode him through his orgasm, his body virtually limp in the other's grasp. A few more thrusts and Tom was coming too, releasing with hot spurts into Harry's body. 

He groaned loudly, burying himself in Tom once more as he bathed in the afterglow. 

"Marry me," Tom whispered in his ear. 

"I- I'm leaving Tom. In a few hours. You know-" 

"I don't care." The other interrupted. "Marry me anyway. Be mine." 

The other slipped from his body, making him feel empty. He immediately missed him, his body feeling strangely incomplete. 

"Yes," He whispered as he turned his head back toward Tom, their lips brushing. "Yes." 

Tom kissed him and for the first time, Harry could swear he was happy. 

They spent the rest of what could be considered a night in the Underworld in Harry's bed, wrapped together. 

When the day came, and Harry was bound to leave, he found himself unwilling to go. No matter how much he missed his mother, he loved Tom terribly. And the pain of leaving him tore at Harry's heart. 

"I think," Tom said in the morning as Harry prepared to leave. "I can make it so that you don't have to leave forever." 

Harry's heart skipped a beat. "How?" 

Tom grasped his hand and took him through the castle. It was strangely silent and still, as though everyone knew he was leaving. The ended at the garden, Tom stepped up toward the tree and pulling a fruit free. With a show of both strength and gentleness, he split the fruit in half, opening the seeds to Harry's view. 

"Do you remember what I told you?" He looked down at the fruit in his hands. 

Harry nodded. "It's the one food that if I eat, I won't leave. But-" 

"But," Tom continued. "You have been ordered back. But not for good. Not permanently. I was told to return you. I was never told that I couldn't have you come back." Tom's sad smile took on a mischievous glint. "It's a loophole." 

Harry looked down at the fruit and thought for a moment. He didn't want to leave, but he knew he must. And he certainly didn't want to stay away. If Tom was right, he didn't have to. 

"What do I have to do?" 

The other dropped half the fruit and began picking seeds from the other half. Six total. He offered them to Harry. 

"One seed for each month. I won't risk overstepping, but six months would give you half a year with me." He grasped Harry's hand and poured the seeds into it. "Eat as many as you wish and you will return for however many months for the seeds you ate." He stepped away, giving Harry his choice. 

He always gave Harry his choice. 

He ate all six seeds at once. 

Tom's resulting grin was glorious. The other lunged forward, scooping him up and kissing him. He kissed Tom back, his heart fluttering in his chest. When Tom finally let him down, it was only because they felt something else. Another presence. 

In the distance, toward the gate that led to the entrance of the Underworld, stood a woman with fire-red hair. His mother. 

Tom sighed sadly before kissing his hands gently. "I'll walk you." 

Harry nodded, his voice no longer working. Together, hand in hand, they moved toward his mother. It was a terrible walk and Harry hated every step, though it was a relief to see his mother. Her eyes were glassy as he neared, tears welling in them. 

Tom stopped eventually as Harry continued forward, toward his mother. He felt the moment their hands fell away and Harry stopped abruptly, turning around.

Tom was still standing in the same spot, his dark eyes sad as he slowly lowered his hand. Harry looked back toward his mother for a moment before he turned back, rushing toward Tom. 

The other grasped him close when their bodies collided, lips finding each other's. Tom kissed him deeply and Harry felt a single tear drop onto his cheek. He pulled away from Tom reluctantly. The other grabbed his hands, pulling them upward and then kissing his knuckles. 

"Go," He said quietly. "It's all right." 

Harry began to back away, emotions choking him as their arms extended, still reaching for each other even as their fingertips brushed over each other and then apart.

"I'll come back." He said, gasping with his emotions, tears threatening to spill onto his cheeks. 

"I know," Tom answered. 

"I love you." Harry forced himself to say. 

"And I love you." 

Harry backed up until he was suddenly next to his mother. He blinked and suddenly, Tom was gone. Harry's hands fell to his side. 

"Welcome home, darling." His mother said, pulling him closer. But Harry continued to stare at the spot where Tom had once been. 

He would return. He would see him again. It wasn't forever. And yet his heart ached and his throat felt tight. 

"Come, love. We should go home." 

But to Harry, it wasn't home. Or at least, not his only home. He was home, with his mother. But his home was also with Tom. 

_I love you._ He thought toward the Underworld as he continued to back away from the entrance. 

_I love you._

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come yell at me on [Tumblr](https://neurowriter14.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/NWriter14)


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